Buildings made of concrete have never received the attention in this
country that they deserve. They have the merit of being durable and
fire-proof, and of not being liable to be blown down by violent winds.
It is very easy to erect them in places where sand and gravel are near
at hand and lime is comparatively cheap. Experiments made in England
show that coal screenings may be employed to good advantage in the
place of sand and gravel. Mr. Samuel Preston, of Mount Carroll, Ill.,
has a dwelling and several other buildings made of concrete and
erected by himself. They were put up in 1851, and are in excellent
condition. In _The Farmers' Review_ he gives the following directions
for building concrete walls:
First, secure a good stone foundation, the bottom below frost, the top
about one foot above ground. Near the top of the foundation bed in 2×4
scantling edgewise transversely with the walls, at such distances
apart as the length of the planks that form the boxes to hold the
concrete may require, the ends of the scantling to run six inches
beyond the outside and inside of the wall. Now take 2×6 studding, one
foot longer than the height of the concrete walls are to be, bolt in
an upright position in pairs to each end of the 2×4 scantling, and, if
a foot wall is to be built, sixteen inches apart, as the box plank
will take up four inches. To hold the studding together at the top,
take pieces of 2×6 lumber, make two mortises in each piece large
enough to slip easily up and down on the studding, forming a tie. Make
one mortise long enough to insert a key, so that the studding can be
opened at the top when the box plank are to be raised. When the box
plank are in position, nail cleats with a hole in each of them on each
side of the studding, and corresponding holes in the studding, into
which insert a pin to hold the plank to the studding. Bore holes along
up in the studding, to hold the boxes when raised.
To make the walls hollow, and I would do it in a building for any
purpose, use inch boards the same width of the box plank, one side
planed; put the two rough sides together with shingles between,
nailing them together with six-penny nails; place them in the middle
of the wall, the thin end of the shingle down. That gives them a bevel
and can be easily raised with the boxes. To tie the wall together, at
every third course place strips of boards a little shorter than the
thickness of the wall; cut notches in each so that the concrete will
fill in, holding all fast. The side walls being up, place two inch
planks on top of the wall upon which to rest the upper joists, put on
joist and rafters, remove the box plank, take inch boards for boxes,
cut to fit between joists and rafters, and fill with concrete to upper
side of rafters, which makes walls that will keep out cold and damp,
all kinds of vermin, and a roof which nothing but a cyclone can
remove. In making door and window frames, make the jambs two inches
narrower than the thickness of the walls, nailing on temporary two
inch strips.
Make the mortar bed large enough to hold the material for one course;
put in unslaked quicklime in proportion to 1 to 20 or 30 of other
material; throw into it plenty of water, and don't have that
antediluvian idea that you can drown it; put in clean sand and gravel,
broken stone, making it thin enough, so that when it is put into boxes
the thinner portion will run in, filling all interstices, forming a
solid mass. A brick trowel is necessary to work it down alongside the
boxing plank. One of the best and easiest things to carry the concrete
to the boxes is a railroad wheelbarrow, scooping it in with a scoop
shovel. Two courses a week is about as fast as it will be safe to lay
up the walls.
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The _Medical Summary_ recommends the external use of buttermilk to
ladies who are exposed to tan or freckles.
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